Is this Demon just junk or am I just junk at dealing with it?

Sounds like you're ready to learn.

I see 4 corner idle. With that cam, the engine is probably making 1/2 decent vacuum at idle. So plan on using very little idle mix. In fact if you shut the secondary idle mix screws all the way, it might might be a good starting piont. Then crack them as needed after adjusting the primaries and fiddle with all four to get the best result. Best result means putting it in gear and getting the least amount of rpm and vacuum drop.

As far as secondary transfer slot goes. Yes there should be a small screw to adjust the secondary idle position. Holley put them so you could only adjust them with the carb off (like in photo). Barry Grant - I don't know. But you are correct, secondary transfer slots should not show. or at least hardly show.

Re: .020 on the primary. Barry Grant carbs have a rep for wider and longer t-slots than old school holleys. Regardless don't feel locked into the number. Some adjustment is OK. When its too far off, you'll notice a delay or a bog when gently pulling away from a stop sign or such..

There's probably more, but that's a good starting point.
Some barry Grants have 'idle eze' air bypass adjustment. The purpose is to allow the throttles to start in the .020ish position without resorting to drilling holes in the blades or cranking open the secondary blades. I think Bill Jones came up with the idea.
Thanks. To clarify a few more items: The Speed Demon has a curb idle screw that is adjustable with the carb on the motor, it doesn't have the screw on the bottom of the base plate. This one is pre-Idle-Eze, so it doesn't have the screw at the base of the air cleaner stud.

TBH, I don't intend on putting this carb on the car for a very long time because of how much of a bear it has always been to deal with. BG made it very clear in their instructions that all four corners had to be adjusted the same and all butterflies had to be adjusted the same with the transfer slots, so I was always stuck on that and didn't want to really venture out into changing stuff independently...maybe its time to jump out of the comfort zone.